White Martyrdom begins

White martyrdom is persecution. It is happening, from what I see, to Father Newman of St. Mary's in Greenville, SC. Last Sunday, Father Newman distributed a letter which instructed his parishioners that - because voting for a pro-abort candidate was complicity with grave evil - anyone who voted for Obama should be sure to go to Confession before presenting themselves for Communion.

A veritable firestorm has broken out. The instructions of the former bishop of Charleston seem to support this decision - Bishop Baker signed an agreement between Charleston, Charlotte, and the Archdiocese of Atlanta to deny Communion to pro-abort politicians.

Sadly, the current diocesan administrator, Msgr. McLaughlin, appears not to have remembered that precedent; he has issued a statement in opposition to Father Newman, accusing him of partisan politics in violation of the Church's stance on engagement with political concerns.

Msgr. McLauglin will be hearing from me. Fr. Newman pointed out that, had the other party's platform included a strong support for FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act, which seeks to overturn the Bush ban on partial-birth abortion and the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act), he would have been just as outspoken about it, too. It is the pro-abort policy and promises made by the individual candidate - and the Church is very clear in her insistence that Life Issues are the most important concerns facing Christians in the voting booth.

Pray for Father Newman, won't you, please? A friend in Greenville tells me he received over a thousand emails in a 4-hour period, last night, and now that major networks have picked up the item, the heat will only increase. You can see from the comments on WRAL.COM webpage (I'm lauraleigh, in case it isn't obvious) that the general sentiment is not in favor of the good Father.

I left a phone message and sent an email this morning. I would post the parish website here, but it's down at the present.

More to follow -

and I don't mean just about Fr. Newman. When administrators within the Church turn on a faithful priest who has told his flock what they need to know for the sake of their immortal souls, you know that ordinary laypeople like you and me are at very high risk, within the church as well as in the world. We expect to be hated in the world; it's always a bitter shock to encounter hostility and contempt within the church.

Things are only going to get worse in the coming months.

Another of my heroes -

SC Priest, Father Jay Scott Newman, has stirred a lot of controversy among liberals for a letter he has sent out, warning his flock that those Catholics who voted for Obama are complicit in the grave sin of supporting abortion, and should go to Confession before presenting themselves for Holy Communion.

I don't know what Newman's bishop is saying about this, but I hope with all my heart that he is supporting Father Newman in this courageous stance for Truth.

Do, please, pray for Father Newman. And consider writing a letter or email of support and encouragement to him, won't you? I'm reluctant to place too much info here in my blog, but you can find it easily enough with a very short Google trail...

More and more -

- it feels as if my studies are not preparing me for a career, but for the identity of Warrior Princess. This is Basic Training - or maybe a somewhat more advanced course of study? for spiritual warfare.

I am so proud of the American Bishops for speaking out in opposition of Obama's reported intended liberalization of abortion policy. BHO has already demonstrated that he does not brook opposition; I think we are going to be in for it.

May God find us faithful.

Taking up the Armor of Christ

I am nearly 100% persuaded that I am to join the Knights of the Immaculata - the Militia Immaculata - begun in 1917 by St. Maximilian Kolbe.

For weeks now, I've had the phrase "warrior princess" pounding around my mind, my imagination.

I feel that we are on the brink of great turmoil and upheaval, that Christians will be very actively and deliberately persecuted - religious speech will be curtailed (from the now-deleted Agenda at change.gov)

The battle is raging. Will you join, too?

http://www.consecration.com/Default.aspx

Look. If you don't daily check out http://daybydaycartoon.com - you ought to.

And more obscuring, still -

As of last night, the entire AGENDA section of change.gov has been deleted. Some of it had already been edited in the face of a lot of protest (compulsive volunteer service) but as more and more protests have arisen, evidently Obama's Chief of Website (a new cabinet post?) decided that it would be prudent to simply delete the agenda.

Doesn't mean the agenda is altered - just that now we can't see it in advance and prepare for it.

Civilians don't fight - Citizens do

And after taking a brief look at http://change.gov - I want to be known as a CITIZEN -

Plans made obscure

The language is impressive - but what does it mean?

"It means the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts." Right. Starting with the curtailment of First Amendment Rights.

http://change.gov

Zo - YES

Yes, it's from the ONION -

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

THANKS! to SS for sending me this!

Jane Austen Heroine -

Take the Quiz here!

Oh, such a relief! I also consider Anne Elliot one of my favorite literary heroines, ever!

And another image that seems to fit -

Somehow this seems apt this morning...

Post-election thoughts

I'll share my own thoughts later - still journalling them - but here is a strong statement from Bob Parks.

Election Day 2008

Elections are always a high-energy time, lots of nerves and expectations, but I don't remember seeing anything like this year's election, before.

I voted two weeks ago - and most of my friends have taken advantage of early voting, too.

One thing is certain: - If we win tonight, we can't just go back to sleep at the wheel again, as we did four years ago. If we want to save our Nation from destruction, we are going to have to apply a lot of deliberate, steady pressure to reverse the crazy swing to the left that our culture has been taking, unchallenged, for the past decade or more.

I'll write more about that later - right now I have to get ready to go volunteer at the GOP HQ.

Deliver us, O Lord, from every evil, and protect us from all anxiety. In your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

In the midst of all the political bru-ha-ha -

There really are some things more important. Six years ago today, I stood before a congregation of about 500 people, and declared myself:

"I believe all that the Roman Catholic Church teaches, preaches and proclaims to be revealed by God."

I joined in the recitation of the Nicene Creed - and I think my voice carried over everyone else's there, that morning.

On November 3, 2002, I was received into Christ's One, Holy, Catholic Apostolic Church.

Deo gratias!

Something to think about

When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates, you are there alone standing before God -- and a terror will rip your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there'll be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world -- and they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, "Spare him, because he loved us" - and God will look at you and say not, "Did you succeed?" but "Did you try?"
~ Congressman Henry Hyde

With gratitude to Angie.

Wizard of Washington

You don't have to be a conservative Republican to appreciate the skill and wit that went into creating this video. Enjoy!

Thanks to Steve for sharing - I have no idea where he got it!

More.... DAY BY DAY

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